Join us in celebrating the beauty of life - even, especially now.

Donate now at sonosbelle.eventbrite.com

Join Cari Shipp and Linda Blondel for a collection of works centered around the rich and diverse landscape of French music and flutists. This program is lush, lovely, transcendent, and beautiful to the core and we are delighted to be sharing it with you while benefitting the critical Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.

WHAT? Mostly French music.

Why? Because 1. France was a hot spot for music and flute innovation for much of the late 19th and 20th centuries. 2. Linda Blondel's husband Pierre is French and therefore she has absorbed much of the beautiful culture. 3. The French have certainly seen their fair share of conflict and continued to make pastries and wine (among other things) and for that, we thank them.

Featuring the music of:

Claude Debussy
Germaine Tailleferre
Samuel Barber
Bohuslav Martinů
Ian Clarke
Benjamin Godard
Philippe Gaubert

WHERE? Cove Presbyterian Church

Located about 20 minutes south of Charlottesville on Route 29, this charming and historic church is the perfect setting for a spring afternoon concert. You’ll feel like you’ve traveled much farther in time and space but it’s an easy stop at Dr. Ho’s Humble Pie for dinner on the way back!

WHEN? Saturday, May 17, 2025 at 4 PM

Guess what? This is the day of UVA’s graduation. You don’t want to be downtown! You want to be away! Take the short drive to Covesville, grab dinner on the way back, and still be home before dark.

WHO? Cari Shipp & Linda Blondel

Cari Shipp (MM flute performance, Peabody Conservatory), enjoys time on the orchestral, chamber, and solo stage. She has appeared with orchestras such as the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival, Charlottesville Symphony, Charlottesville Opera Chamber Orchestra, and Lynchburg Symphony. As a soloist she has been featured in concerts throughout Central Virginia, Washington DC, and Baltimore. In 2017 she started her own benefit concert series, SONOSYNTHESIS, through which she has produced and performed thirteen solo concerts benefitting local organizations. Through this series she has been honored to collaborate with elite musicians such as Jeremy Thompson and Colin Davin. She maintains a full private lesson studio in Charlottesville, VA where she lives with her husband, dog, and two cats. When not teaching or performing she enjoys long hikes and longer books.

Linda Blondel grew up in Baltimore and graduated from Peabody Preparatory in piano and theory. She graduated from Bennington College with a music and dance major. She and her husband have lived in Charlottesville for 40 years, where they raised two sons. She performs chamber music regularly, teaches piano privately, and is the pianist at Cove Presbyterian Church. Linda has worked with many university student and faculty musicians since 1982, including violinist Svend Ronning and cellist Paige Riggs. Linda is the pianist with the Waynesboro Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Peter Wilson.

WHY? Benefitting the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank

Here’s just on excerpt from their website: “Local children, seniors, and families of all sizes who are living with hunger are being held and helped by this community. They are receiving food and hope. Together, we are reaching underserved populations, serving more nutritious food, and providing the resources our guests need to live healthier, happier lives.”

HOW MUCH? Pay what you will.

You are welcome to come for a donation of any amount. BRAFB will receive the majority of the donations received. SONOSYNTHESIS believes in paying professional musicians for their work. The guest artist is paid in advance; a portion is retained for future SONOSYNTHESIS concerts. Thank you for supporting the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank as well as local musicians!

WHAT IS SONOSYNTHESIS? So glad you asked.

SONOSYNTHESIS is a benefit concert series in Charlottesville, Virginia founded and produced by Cari Shipp. "Sonosynthesis" means fusion of sound: the fusion of sound and support for local organizations, the fusion of sound by bringing musicians together, and fusing the community with high quality classical music, creatively programmed and presented. This is the fifteenth concert in the series since its inception in 2017.

Tickets and more information: https://tickets.artsboxoffice.virginia.edu/10763/10764

Cari Shipp, flute, and Jeremy Thompson, piano, bring a program of beautiful, expansive works for flute and piano. Tickets available at sonosarcanum.eventbrite.com or by emailing Cari at carishippflutist@gmail.com

Join us in this beautiful, intimate performance space for wine and hors d'oeuvres at 7 PM with the program beginning at 7:30.

Program:

Johann Sebastian Bach - Sonata in E minor
Fikret Amirov - Six Pieces
Reena Esmail - Sonata, mvt II
Walter Gieseking - Sonatine

THIS CONCERT:

This is the sixth time Cari Shipp and Jeremy Thompson will be playing together, and the fifteenth concert in the SONOSYNTHESIS benefit concert series. Arcanum means "secret" or "mystery" in Latin, and encapsulates the vast, expansive nature of the program.

THE PROGRAM:

This program includes familiar names like JS Bach and famed pianist Walter Gieseking, as well as the wonderfully successful young composer Reena Esmail (currently the Los Angeles Master Chorale’s 2020-2025 Swan Family Artist in Residence among other accolades), and the seldom performed but electrifying music of Azerbaijani composer Fikret Amirov.

This program features enchanting, mysterious music for flute and piano. The Bach Sonata in e minoropens with the most emotionally evocative movement of his seven flute sonatas, followed by riveting technical movements. The Six Pieces by Amirov is joyful music filled with the rich harmonies of Eastern European folk music. Gieseking's Sonatine is haunting with it's twisting melodies, peaceful in the gentle barcarolle-esque second movement, and dazzling with the twinkling tessitura of the finale. Reena Esmail's unfinished Sonata is unlike anything we've ever played - I'll quote the composer's own words: "The second movement of my Sonata for Flute and Piano begins in a Hindustani (north Indian) raga called Ahir Bhairav. I love the dark, yearning nature of Ahir Bhairav — the way it feels so otherworldly, and seems to long for a place that is just out of reach."

THE BENEFITTING ORGANIZATION:

We are delighted to be benefitting VIA Centers for Neurodevelopment. VIA's mission is to empower people to embrace the strengths and meet the challenges related to autism and neurodevelopmental disabilities by providing compassionate, evidence-based services throughout their lives with locations in Charlottesville, Roanoke, Lynchburg, and Lexington. To learn more, visit viacenters.org.

The cost of each ticket supports both the musicians and VIA, but additional donations are welcome at the concert going directly to VIA.

THE VENUE:

801 Park Street, or North End, is the beautiful and historic home owned by Daniel Krasnegor and Kristin Jensen. They have hosted concerts for Early Music Access Project, Victory Hall Opera, and of course, SONOSNTHESIS Benefit Concert series. We are delighted to be playing in this warm, welcoming space once again. Free street parking is available and feel free to use Park Hill for drop offs as needed.

THE CONCERT SERIES:

SONOSYNTHESIS is a benefit concert series in Charlottesville, Virginia founded and produced by Cari Shipp. "Sonosynthesis" means fusion of sound: the fusion of sound and support for local organizations, the fusion of sound by bringing musicians together, and fusing the community with high quality classical music, creatively programmed and presented. This is the fifteenth concert in the series since its inception in 2017.

THE MUSICIANS

Cari Shipp, a performer at heart, enjoys time on the orchestral, chamber, and solo stage. She has appeared with orchestras such as the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival, Charlottesville Symphony, Charlottesville Opera Chamber Orchestra, Opera on the James, and Lynchburg Symphony. As a soloist she has been featured in concerts throughout Central Virginia, Washington DC, and Baltimore. She served three years as principal flute with the Hunt Valley Symphony Orchestra and performed Mozart’s Concerto in G Major with the orchestra in 2015, and performed the Bach Orchestral Suite in B minor with the Blue Ridge Chamber Orchestra in 2024.

In 2017 she started her own benefit concert series, SONOSYNTHESIS, through which she has produced and performed thirteen solo concerts benefitting local organizations. Through this series she has been honored to collaborate with elite musicians such as Jeremy Thompson and Colin Davin.

After graduating from the Interlochen Arts Academy, she completed her Bachelors of Music in flute performance from the University of North Texas under the tutelage of Dr. Mary Karen Clardy and her Masters of Music in flute performance from the Peabody Conservatory under Laurie Sokoloff. She has been featured in master classes with Jeanne Baxtresser, Marina Piccinini, Jim Walker, Trudy Kane, Mark Sparks, Mathieu Dufour, Paul Edmund-Davies, and more.

She maintains a full private lesson studio in Charlottesville, VA where she lives with her husband, dog, and two cats. When not teaching or performing she enjoys long hikes and longer books.

Jeremy Thompson was born in Dipper Harbour, a small fishing village in New Brunswick, Canada. He furthered his studies at McGill University in Montreal, studying piano with Marina Mdivani who was herself a student of Emil Gilels.

He began his organ studies while he was in Montreal, among the many incredible instruments of that city. He was fortunate to have the opportunity to continue his studies with Dr. John Grew. In 2005, he earned a Doctorate of Music in piano performance from McGill, where he held two of Canada’s most prestigious doctoral fellowships.

He has appeared frequently with orchestras including the Saint Petersburg State Academic Orchestra, the Saratov Philharmonic Orchestra, the Georgian National Orchestra, the Charlottesville Symphony, the North Carolina Symphony and the McGill Symphony Orchestra. He has performed extensively throughout North America in both solo and chamber music settings, and has also completed three tours to the former Soviet Union.

Thompson enjoys performing music from all eras, yet specializes in highly virtuosic repertoire. He has focused recently on several recording projects, including a 2 CD set of the organ music of Karl Höller on the Raven CD label. He recently released a recording of the piano music of Vasily Kalafati on the Toccata Classics label. Previous recordings include an album of the piano music of Scriabin on the MSRCD label, and a recording of contemporary piano music from Quebec on the McGill label.

This concert is for the residents and guests of Westminster-Canterbury of the Blue Ridge.

Cari Shipp, flute, and Jeremy Thompson, piano, bring a program of beautiful, expansive works for flute and piano. Featuring the music of Bach, Gieseking, Asimov, and Esmail.

Program:

Johann Sebastian Bach - Sonata in E minor
Fikret Amirov - Six Pieces
Reena Esmail - Sonata, mvt II
Walter Gieseking - Sonatine

This program includes familiar names like JS Bach and famed pianist Walter Gieseking, as well as the wonderfully successful young composer Reena Esmail (currently the Los Angeles Master Chorale’s 2020-2025 Swan Family Artist in Residence among other accolades), and the seldom performed but electrifying music of Azerbaijani composer Fikret Amirov.

This program features enchanting, mysterious music for flute and piano. The Bach Sonata in e minor opens with the most emotionally evocative movement of his seven flute sonatas, followed by riveting technical movements. The Six Pieces by Amirov is joyful music filled with the rich harmonies of Eastern European folk music. Gieseking's Sonatine is haunting with its twisting melodies, peaceful in the gentle barcarolle-esque second movement, and dazzling with the twinkling tessitura of the finale. Reena Esmail's unfinished Sonata is unlike anything we've ever played - I'll quote the composer's own words: "The second movement of my Sonata for Flute and Piano begins in a Hindustani (north Indian) raga called Ahir Bhairav. I love the dark, yearning nature of Ahir Bhairav — the way it feels so otherworldly, and seems to long for a place that is just out of reach."

Cari Shipp will perform three movements of the Bach Flute Sonata in E minor for prelude, postlude, and communion during First Presbyterian Church’s 11 AM service.

Cari will once again be joining the Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra as principal flute for their holiday concert. Tickets and more information here.

Cari will be the soloist on the Bach Orchestral Suite in B minor. The concert will also include works by Dvorak and Vaughn Williams.

SONOSYNTHESIS: Studio & Stage

a chamber concert featuring performers who teach

Tickets: $20 in advance, $25 at the door
Students and families of music students use code STUDENT for a discount!
Your ticket purchase supports both the Charlottesville Music Teachers Association as well as the performers.

You can purchase tickets at this website, or by contacting me

Eventbrite collects a fee in addition to your ticket cost. Please contact Cari Shipp at carishippflutist@gmail.com to reserve your seat another way.

WHEN/WHERE:

Sunday, August 18, 2024, 2:30 PM

Park Street Christian Church

1200 Park Street, Charlottesville, VA

Benefiting the Charlottesville Music Teachers Association

MUSICIANS:

Cari Shipp, flute

Brooke Mahanes, violin

Stanley Beckwith, viola

Ethan Wagner, cello

With special guests

Addison Gardner, soprano

Michael Alan Pearce, violin

PROGRAM:

DVORAK - American Quartet
performed by Solaris String Quartet
BACH - Aus liebe from St. Matthew Passion
ZUCKER - Harbor Sounds
CORIGLIANO - Three Irish Folk Song Settings
MOZART - Flute Quartet in D Major

Antonin Dvorak's melodies will have you tapping your toes and replaying them for days to come and this quartet is no exception! Experience the magic and adventure of the New World Symphony in quartet form.

Johann Sebastian Bach's St. Matthew Passion is a tremendous work, nearly three hours in it's entirety. In it, he pours innovation and emotions previously unheard. This concert brings just a single evocative aria, but within it intricate lines and complex harmonies. Aus Liebe means "for love," and in hearing it the depths and complexities of love are felt.

Laurel Zucker is a living virtuoso flutist and composer. Her playful, vivid style transports you to the Puget Sound with seals frolicking, mist cooling your face, and the mountain out for all to enjoy.

John Corigliano's style is often complicated, but for these familiar Irish folk songs and unique instrumentation (just flute and voice!) the complexities add interest and novelty rather than harshness. These arrangements are moving and disarming, bringing out the grief and longing behind these seemingly simple songs.

A traditional string quartet has two violins, a viola, and a cello. But Mozart said, "what would happen if we replaced the first violin with a flute?" And we're delighted to show you the results. This jubliant piece has all of the operatic flare with just four players.

ABOUT THE CMTA:

Founded in 1979, Charlottesville Music Teachers Association is committed to the support and development of professional music teachers through monthly programs and workshops. In order to stimulate the regular and serious study of music among young people, the CMTA sponsors performance events for students of its members. All of our performers today are also music teachers, and all but one are members of the CMTA. Thank you for supporting local professional musicians and this organization!

ABOUT SONOSYNTHESIS:

SONOSYNTHESIS is a benefit concert series in Charlottesville, Virginia founded and produced by Cari Shipp. "Sonosynthesis" means fusion of sound: the fusion of sound and support for local organizations, the fusion of sound by bringing musicians together, and fusing the community with high quality classical music, creatively programmed and presented. This is the fourteenth concert in the series since its inception in 2017.

ABOUT THE VENUE:

This warm, welcoming, moderately sized venue is close to downtown but has ample dedicated parking. This concert will be held in a church but there will be no proselytizing of any kind. Park Street Christian Church frequently and happily opens their doors to the community. When operating as a house of worship they welcome and value inclusiveness and acceptance of all people, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, political preference, socio-economic status, country of origin, language, or intellectual or physical ability, and at all levels (membership, service, marriage, leadership).

Seating is limited! Reserve your ticket today.

Ticket purchase supports the performers as well as CMTA

Tickets: https://svbf.betterworld.org/events/Festival-Concert-3-2024

Featuring guest conductor, Kalena Bovell, and soprano soloist, Sara Duchovnay, "Unity" will be explored in this concert through a wonderful and vibrant overture entitled Umoja (which means unity in Swahili) by Valerie Coleman, Strauss's transcendent Last four Songs, and Tippett's great World War II choral masterwork A Child of Our Time, that focuses on the tragic struggle that division brings.

Tickets: https://svbf.betterworld.org/events/Festival-Concert-2-2024

Featuring guest conductor, Kalena Bovell, and violin soloist, Alejandra Switala, "Unity" will be explored in this concert through a lively work highlighting resiliency after 9/11 by Nkeiru Okoye, a beautiful concerto by the great romantic British-Sierra Leonean composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and Dvorak's famous symphony "from the New World" which weaves the sounds of America into a symphonic masterwork.

Cari will perform Claude Debussy’s stunning Sonata for flute, viola, and harp, alongside Thomas Stevens, viola, and Anastasia Jellison, harp

More information: https://www.svbachfestival.org/2024-bach-festival

Cari will perform Laurel Zucker’s Harbor Sounds, alongside Celia Daggy, viola and Amanda Gookin, cello

More information: https://www.svbachfestival.org/2024-bach-festival

Tickets and more information: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/micayla-rawling-in-concert-tickets-882708513927?aff=oddtdtcreator

Cari is delighted to join her former student Micayla Rawling on her homecoming concert. They will be playing Yuko Uebayashi’s Town Light for two flutes and piano with Linda Blondel. For full program see link above.

Arranged and conducted by Jeremy Thompson

Cari performed in the Charlottesville Chamber Orchestra for their educational concert, Sing Me a Story

Cari Shipp, flute and Jeremy Thompson will perform Burton’s Sonatina as the prelude and postlude to today’s service.

For the offertory, Cari will join Brigid Eversole , soprano and Jeremy Thompson, organ for Bach’s Höchster, was ich habe

What happens when sassy classical flutist Cari Shipp teams up with iconic electric violin duo the Synergy Twins? You get a rocking Christmas concert full of variety and festivity. Benefitting The Haven.

In addition to donating a portion of the proceeds to The Haven, we will be collecting tangible donations as well as additional monetary donations. To find a list of accepted tangible donations for The Haven, view their list here.

The Music

Whether you love the classic Christmas music of The Nutracker and O Holy Night, or modern hits such as Sleigh Ride and Let It Go, we have music for you! You'll hear from each of us serparately as well as group numbers sure to get the hot cocoa flowing and chestnuts roasting.

The Musicians

Both Cari and the Synergy Twins are known for charismatic, dynamic, engaging performances - you'll be part of the festive celebration from your seat!

Cari Shipp, flutist (MM, Peabody Conservatory) has been the featured soloist in concert series throughout Baltimore, Washington DC, and Virginia and frequently performs with orchestras such as the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival, the Lynchburg Symphony, and the Opera on the James. She also served as principal flutist with the Hunt Valley Symphony Orchestra for three years. In 2016 she founded the SONOSYNTHESIS Benefit Concert series and has since performed over thirteen concerts with elite musicians such as Jeremy Thompson, Shelby Sender, and Colin Davin benfitting a number of organizations working towards justice and peace. Her prformances are hallmarked by creative touches enabling any type of listener to relate to top tier classical music.

Equal parts energy and talent, the Synergy Twins bring anything but boring background music to an event. Their headline show on international cruise lines, performances on national television, major music festivals, private celebrity events, and dozens and dozens of weddings and parties give guests and audiences an experience they’ll be talking about for weeks. As pioneers in the classical crossover violin movement, Jeff and Stephen have had the opportunity to play for a wide variety of public figures including Michael Jordan, Kathy Lee, Florence Henderson, Gary Player, Darla Moore, and so many more.

Special guest musicians Micayla Rawling (flute) and Laurie Shulman (piano) complete the musical magic for the evening!

About SONOSYNTHESIS

SONOSYNTHESIS is a benefit concert series in Charlottesville, Virginia founded and produced by Cari Shipp. "Sonosynthesis" means fusion of sound: the fusion of sound and support for local organizations, the fusion of sound by bringing musicians together, and fusing the community with high quality classical music, creatively programmed and presented. This is the twelfth concert in the series since its inception in 2017. The mission of SONOSYNTHESIS is to pay professional musicians for their work, expose audiences to creative classical programming, and bring awareness and support to local organizations who are improving the community.

The Space

Park Street Christian Church is a warm, welcoming, moderately sized venue is close to downtown but equipped with ample dedicated parking. This concert will be held in a church but there will be no proselytizing of any kind. Park Street Christian Church frequently and happily opens their doors to the community. When operating as a house of worship they welcome and value inclusiveness and acceptance of all people, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, political preference, socio-economic status, country of origin, language, or intellectual or physical ability, and at all levels (membership, service, marriage, leadership).

Tickets and more information available here!

A reprise of our Music on Park Street Concert for the private Westminster-Canterbury Concert Series

Enjoy this free concert in the Music on Park Street series featuring Cari Shipp, flute, and Jeremy Thompson, piano

Program:

Nocturne | D’un Matin de Printemps - Lili Boulanger

Clair de Lune - Gabriel Faure
Ständchen - Franz Schubert
Romance No. 3 - Robert Schumann

Fantasie - Gabriel Faure

Sonata - Yuko Uebayashi

More information here: Panorama Natural Burial

We invite you to join us in honoring the changing of the seasons.

The sun is setting earlier and earlier. The morning dew is lingering later and later into the day. The trees are beginning their transition into dormancy. Summering birds are making their way on and wintering birds are making their way in. A new spectrum of colors, textures, and sounds graces our senses.

We would be delighted if you would join us in sharing a meal to mark the first day of the coming season. Local musician Cari Shipp will accompany on the flute. All ages welcome. Bring a dish to share. Looking forward to seeing you there!

*To limit waste we ask that you please bring your own plates, cups, and utensils.*

Park Street Christian Church is hosting a summer speaker series on the Sundays in July at 11 AM. Cari will be speaking with Juliana Marin, soprano, about what makes music sacred. They will also be performing together! A great pleasure.

Cari will be playing music to open and close the event, as well as atmospheric accompaniment to the storytellers. Learn more here (note the website may have the previous date of June 23, but the event is scheduled for June 30).

Celebrate the changing of the seasons with professional storytelling, sparklers, and cheer! 

Gather around a bonfire (weather permitting) as the sun sets on the first official Friday of Summer 2023. Enjoy stories of transition, transformation, and renewal curated and performed by local orators. Participate in an optional group activity, twirl sparklers, and share in community.  Tiny morsels will be on hand for peckish snackers, but feel free to bring your refreshment of choice.

More information here

Performing Mozart’s Flute Quartet in D Major with Mark Taylor, violin; Celia Daggy, viola; and Beth Vanderborgh, cello

Performing Madeline Dring’s Trio for flute, oboe, and piano with Stephen Key, oboe and Lise Keiter, piano

Join charismatic flutist Cari Shipp and premier classical guitarist Colin Davin for a dynamic program of songs and dances. Tickets available at sonossongdance.eventbrite.com for $20 in advance or $25 at the door.

Flute & Guitar Concert Series Debut

In the first ever appearance of this instrumentation in the SONOSYNTHESIS Benefit Concert series, we feature songs and dances for flute and guitar with the effervescent, charismatic Cari Shipp on flute and the highly acclaimed guitar virtuoso Colin Davin.

The Music

This program sings with a familiarity full of nuance and intrigue. You'll recognize the iconic melodies of Bizet's opera Carmen but be dazzled by François Borne's sparkling variations and embellishments in his Fantaisie brillante sur Carmen. Bartok's Romanian Folk Dances might be new to you, but you'll feel a nostalgic echo of peasants dancing and singing in the slavic melodies. Whether you're a tango master or only know it from that one episode of Frasier you'll be inspired by Astor Piazzolla's Histoire du Tango (perhaps the best loved piece of flute and guitar repertoire). See below for full program.

The Benefitting Organization: AHIP Home Repair Nonprofit

AHIP believes that everyone should be safe at home. Our office receives calls on a daily basis from local homeowners faced with critical housing repairs (plumbing failures, broken roofs, rotten floorboards, etc) that they can’t afford to have fixed. Between our construction crew and our network of trusted local subcontractors, we’re able to provide timely, impactful repairs to neighbors in need, all free of cost. Our organization is a full-service, state-licensed Class A contractor, as well as an EPA-certified lead abatement contractor. Together, we improve homes, preserve families’ assets, revitalize neighborhoods, and protect our local affordable housing stock. Read more at https://ahipva.org

The Program

Sonata in E Major BWV 1035 - Johann Sebastian Bach

Romanian Folk Dances - Béla Bartok

Snow Dreams - Joan Tower

Histoire du tango - Astor Piazzolla

Fantaisie brillante sur Carmen - François Borne

The Musicians

Cari Shipp, who grew up in the mountains of the Southwest, knew she would be a flutist after her first year of study. A trip to the rustic woods of northern Michigan in her eleventh summer sealed her fate in this matter. She would spend three summers in those woods at Interlochen Arts Camp and then graduate from the Interlochen Arts Academy before pursuing two degrees in flute performance; her Bachelors of Music from the University of North Texas with Dr. Mary Karen Clardy and her Master of Music from The Peabody Conservatory with Laurie Sokoloff.

Cari moved to Virginia in 2010 and grew her teaching studio in addition to performing in solo, chamber, and orchestral settings. She has been the featured soloist in concert series throughout Baltimore, DC, and Virginia such as Music on Park Street, the Charlottesville Salon Series, The Westchester Club Library Series, and has performed with the Opera on the James, The Virginia Consort, the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival, the Charlottesville Symphony Orchestra, and Lynchburg Symphony. She also served as principal flutist with the Hunt Valley Symphony Orchestra for three years.

When she isn’t teaching private lessons or preparing for an upcoming performance she can be found hiking along the Blue Ridge, reading in a cozy nook, or traveling with her husband and their dog (their cats prefer to stay at home).

Cari plays a handmade 14k Powell flute and handmade kingwood Powell piccolo.

Guitarist Colin Davin has emerged as one of today's most dynamic artists. Performance highlights include concertos with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, New Mexico Philharmonic, and Richmond Symphony; and duo collaborations with guitarist Sharon Isbin, harpist Emily Levin, soprano Estelí Gomez, violinist Tessa Lark, and cellist Edward Arron.

Colin appeared as a featured musical guest on the Late Show with David Letterman alongside the late Jessye Norman. He has performed at venues around the world, including Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, the Alhambra Palace, the Paris Conservatoire, the Fridge Fringe in Dubai, and Afghanistan National Institute of Music.

Colin Davin is the Director of Guitar Studies and Associate Professor of Guitar at Shenandoah Conservatory. He previously served as Co-Head of the guitar department at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and on the faculty of the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory. He has presented masterclasses at The Juilliard School, Aspen Music Festival, Oberlin Conservatory, and more.

He holds a Master of Music from The Juilliard School, with Sharon Isbin; a Bachelor of Music from the University of Southern California, with William Kanengiser; and underwent preparatory studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music, with Jason Vieaux.

Colin Davin plays a guitar by Joshia de Jonge with Augustine Strings.

The Series

SONOSYNTHESIS is a benefit concert series in Charlottesville, Virginia founded and produced by Cari Shipp. "Sonosynthesis" means fusion of sound: the fusion of sound and support for local organizations, the fusion of sound by bringing musicians together, and fusing the community with high quality classical music, creatively programmed and presented. This is the twelfth concert in the series since its inception in 2017.

The Space

This is a warm, welcoming, moderately sized venue is close to downtown but has ample dedicated parking. This concert will be held in a church but there will be no proselytizing of any kind. Park Street Christian Church frequently and happily opens their doors to the community. When operating as a house of worship they welcome and value inclusiveness and acceptance of all people, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, political preference, socio-economic status, country of origin, language, or intellectual or physical ability, and at all levels (membership, service, marriage, leadership).

Cari is the resident flute clinician at Wetsel Middle School for the spring of 2023.